Initiatives

Overview

The financial crisis and its economic aftershocks have spawned the first serious examination of the structure of our current banking system and the public policies that have fueled consolidation over the last 30 years and untethered financial institutions from their communities.

Overview

Access to the Internet is an essential infrastructure for any community that cares about economic development, quality of life, and educational opportunities. Unfortunately, most communities are presently dependent on a few unaccountable absentee corporations that act as gatekeepers to...

Overview

Wind and sun are available everywhere, so renewable energy can be economically harnessed at small scales across the country. This nature of renewable energy, and the exponential increase of renewable energy generation, promises to decentralize the nation’s grid system. ...

Overview

Over the last 25 years, a handful of giant companies have grown to dominate the U.S. economy. ILSR challenges the wisdom of this market concentration. Through research and analysis, we have built a compelling case that places that are home to...

Overview

At the founding of the American Republic the word “private” had pejorative connotations. Derived from the Latin word “privare”, private meant to divide or tear apart. A privateer was a pirate. The word “public” was an honorable adjective, often...

Overview

ILSR's Waste to Wealth program helps communities across the country create policies and practices that address citizens' environmental concerns and economic needs. We help citizens fight the incinerators and landfills that pollute their air and water, and drive property...

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The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-february-1

The mayors of 38 US cities came out this week to let the FCC know they want the authority to build high speed Internet networks. Jon Gold with Network World covered the story and reminded readers of the more heavy-handed tactics of our Comcast and TWC. Three U.S. senators introduced a Community Broadband Act this week…. Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/partnership-greater-minnesota-focuses-non-metro-need-community-broadband-bits-podcast-136

Like many states, Minnesota has a major metro area that generally has higher quality Internet access than non-metro communities. The Greater Minnesota Partnership, a coalition of businesses, chambers, nonprofits, and cities from across the state, have made improving Internet access a major priority in their efforts to influence the state legislature. This week, we talk… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://ilsr.org/utility-advocate-debate-solar/

At a Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association conference in November 2014, ILSR’s Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell tilted with Xcel Energy’s Rick Evans about the state’s dormant value of solar policy and whether it was likely to be adopted in the near future. Watch the 68-minute video to see the two address a variety… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-media-roundup-january-23

We continue to see reverberations from President Obama’s speaking out in favor of municipal networks. The presidential nod sparked state lawmakers to propose bills, news organizations to write editorials, and to give communities a better sense of how they can take action locally. As Claire Cain Miller with the New York Times wrote in her… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/bill-establish-broadband-grant-program-montana-state-legislature

In Missoula and Bozeman, momentum is building for improved connectivity by way of community network infrastructure. As usual, funding a municipal network is always one of the main challenges, but the state appears uninterested in helping them. State Representative Kelly McCarthy recently dropped HB 14 into the hopper, a bill to create a broadband development… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://ilsr.org/video-roundtable-minneapolis-utility-clean-energy-partnership/

What can we expect from the first-in-the-nation clean energy partnership between the City of Minneapolis and its electric and gas utilities? Check out this video conversation from a November 2014 MNSEIA conference in Minnesota with the utilities, the city, and the lead grassroots organization about the history, the agreement, and the hopes for this novel… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://ilsr.org/local-voices-show-support-local-connectivity-options/

Our readers have heard the media murmur around municipal networks steadily grow to a loud hum during the past year. An increasing number of local press outlets have taken the opportunity to express their support for municipal networks in recent months. In communities across the U.S. letters to the editor or editorial board opinions reflected… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://ilsr.org/mn-border-broadband-blandin/

Our friends at the Blandin Foundation recently sponsored another Minnesota Border to Border Broadband conference. Video and materials are now available. In addition to the archived video of the November 19th event in Brainerd, Minnesota, Blandin on Broadband‘s Ann Treacy provides links to summaries of each session, some of which also have PowerPoint presentations or… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/state-minnesotas-border-border-broadband-fund-community-broadband-bits-episode-119

Earlier, this year, the Minnesota Legislature established a “Border to Border” Broadband fund to expand Internet access to the least connected in the state. Senator Matt Schmit and Representative Erik Simonson led the effort to establish the fund that is now administered by Danna Mackenzie. All three of them join us this week to discuss… Continue reading

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://ilsr.org/grow-city-utility-partnership-sprouts-minneapolis/

Ever wonder what happened to the notion last August that the city of Minneapolis would take over its energy utilities? While it may seem like the issue vanished, next Monday the Minneapolis City Council makes a monumental decision on another way forward to a better energy future. On the table is a novel partnership between… Continue reading